Homer is the paradigm of intellectual antiquity and the very concepts and symbolism woven throughout such works as The Odyssey are very rich with intricacies of the very foundation of our society that we do not explore enough…
One of the most prominent examples of both cunning and disguise are carefully shown in Odysseus’ encounter with the Cyclops, Polyphemus who imprisons Odysseus and his crew to later eat them. Polyphemus is the only beast that is strong enough to move the rock so that Odysseus and his crew may escape; Odysseus realizes this and devises a plan to achieve his goal of escape. Odysseus has already cleverly identified himself to Polyphemus as “nobody”. When Odysseus strikes and the Cyclops screams his name, the only thing that the other beasts hear is the name “Nobody”. In this case, deception serves as something, which preserves the lives of Odysseus and his crew.
During this entire encounter, however, what is so interesting is the depth of the interaction that takes place, and what is said. We not only see the power gained by Odysseus through deception, but also we see underlying themes in regards to politics and social order. Hopenheimer and Adorno point this out: “Stupidity and lawlessness share a common definition: when Homer calls the Cyclops a ‘law-less minded monster’ he does not mean simply that the Cyclops does not respect the laws of morality but that his thinking itself is lawless…(H&A,51). There is no organization to his lifestyle. The law may be seen as another political institution, especially in the presence of a hierarchy; for, the law is created by a certain body, which creates these laws to keep order and structure.
Odysseus makes sure to mention the Gods to the Cyclops. Polyphemus responds by saying that the Gods do not matter and that the Cyclops are stronger. It is interesting that there is a direct connection between this “lawlessness” and what seems to be a bold irreverence to the Gods, or religion.
Homer makes sure to include that the Cyclops is so stupid that they are unable to see past Odysseus’ use of deception with words. Here we see a group of lawless, irreverent beasts being deceived by a small man who has disguised himself with the use of words. It is almost as if one may equate the largeness of the Cyclops to a larger body, such as several people- we will call this the mass. The mass lacks structure and civilization, therefore it lacks intelligence; it is a beast.